Barra Wing - Routine inspection
by Teredell
Summary: This is a short story about an X-Wing mission where new characters in a new setting conduct an inspection of a mining outpost. There is no crossover with known Star Wars universe characters.


The stars shortened to distant pinpoints in Teredell's vision as his x-wing came out of hyperspace.

A series of beeps came through the comm from R1-C8, indicating that the jump had been successfully completed. A further series of bursts advised the other 2 wing-mates had successfully arrived by his side.

"Thank you Rick" Teredell sighed out slowly.

The long sigh was not directed to the violet & black domed astromech but more at the situation in front of him. Teredell had done dozens of inspection flybys in the preceding months since his team had joined the new republic. Each and every one of them had turned out to be standard protocol and even he was itching for some action. He and his team of 3 x-wings had been more used to outer-rim skirmishes where he, Tra'Tep and Seepaall had been carving out quite the little reputation for themselves in picking off First Order supply ships and various other small time targets. That was until they took out an entire wing of tie fighters and a Corellian freighter. In doing so they painted a target on themselves and soon after the First Order sent an entire squadron and troop transports to their homeworld of Ot'Nabarra where their world was then occupied by the First Order. They were heavily outnumbered and were equally lucky and unlucky that they were en-route back to Ot'Nabarra when the First order arrived. Lucky that they could escape, unlucky to witness the First Order fleet landing and knowing the fate that awaited their friends and family on the planet. On considering the fate of their loved ones they decided to join the fight against the First order directly rather than as small time opportunists.

The three identical x-wings had been painted an electric violet purple color with black lightning streaking down from the nose of the ships all the way along the bodies to the incom 4L4 fusial thrust engines. The wings of each had been painted in the same manner, the lightning streaked across the tops of the starfighters and in Teredell's case his astromech had been given a matching paint job, in fact the only difference between the 3 impressively painted starfighters was the color of their droids, a particular sticking point with Teredell, who claimed that it "just ruined the whole thing" but some people just have a bond with their astromech droids which he could forgive. After all R1-C8, or Rick as Teredell preferred to call him, had been with him for some 4 years now and he couldn't imagine flying without him.

"Ohhhh fearless leader, do you copy?" the sweetly sarcastic voice of Tra'Tep came through his headset.

Tra'Tep the Twi'lek had been razzing Teredell ever since they had joined the new republic with cries of general or commander but her new favourite, because it got under his skin, was fearless leader. The three x-wings belonged to Teredell and he had offered one to Tra'Tep & Seepaall to fly back on Ot'Nabarra where they had formed a bond as a team. On arrival into the new republic his ownership of them had automatically granted him the status of wing leader, which was fair, but Tra'Tep saw it as an endless opportunity to rib him, as both of them knew she would.

"Copy Miss Varagun. No dramatics today let's conduct our mission and get on our way back to base." Teredell had said in his best commander Verchin voice, which was akin to a slow but pompous & authoritative droning.

The response of laughter through the comm channel was immediate, even Teredell had to admit he did a good job at the impersonation.

"OK, OK. Now our wing has been charged with conducting a flyby of this small mining outpost and scanning it's materials for contraband. If we pick up a hint of any illegal spice product on this site we are authorized to destroy or seize the spice." He informed them with a little more composure.

"Whmmw-ffbbfhooa oowwh bbfaaarrhwhmmooa ffhooou-uuwwh mmhooagghwhmm bbbooawwhooa" Seepaall roared through the comms channel. Teredell's shyriiwook was getting better slowly but he opted to read R1-C8's translation.

Which read: Can we just destroy it if it's in a storage unit off the station and get back home?

"Yes! I'd love for nothing more than there to be spice stored off rig in a storage unit, but which miner in their right mind is going to store their spice off rig in a storage unit? Even so if we find it we'll have to wait around for the cavalry" Teredell didn't pause long enough for a response from either of his female wing-mates.

"Seepaall seeing as you mentioned the storage units & you're off to the starboard side you can go inspect them, my scanner shows 24 space containers, conduct a flyby and scan all of them. Report back your findings once you're done. Miss Varagun you're going to fly as my wing support as we flyby the station and make contact with the team there."

Seepaall barked her acknowledgement and a cheeky " I'm on you, fearless leader" came from Tra'Tep, to which Teredell couldn't help but smile, she was infectious.

"Barra wing leader to station commander, do you copy?" Teredell calmly voiced through the comms.

"We copy wing leader, what's your business at Kanna station on this day?" the response came quickly enough but the tone of the commander sounded annoyed.

"Routine flyby scanning inspection of units & station commander, you know the drill." Teredell kept cool and asked R1-C8 to ready the scanners.

Teredell told Rick to start scanning the small outpost as he as he pushed his steering yolk down into a slowly arcing dive in front of the station. He thought to himself about the mining outpost station, it was small, yet these mining outposts are essential to the continuation of the new republic, supply of materials for building was key for any operation. Now if we find Spice then it links the outpost operator to a crimelord many of which have ties to the First Order which means 2 things will happen; one, we get trouble pretty quickly and two, we get to wait around for the cavalry so they can change operations staff at the outpost and bring re-enforcements for when the First order come to check on it.

No sooner had he finished his thoughts did the first scream of beeps come from Rick, great! Teredell thought, finally some action.

"Three TIE fighters picked up exiting a small hanger bay on the rear of the mining station" called out Tra'Tep.

"OK stay with me Barra 2, S-foils into attack position. Rick shields full forward!" Teredell shouted.

R1-C8 splashed onto his HUD angle and direction of the incoming TIE fighters and then Teredell heard roars from Seepaall which translated something like trouble me containers.

"Rick what is Seepaall trying to tell me?" as he pulled his X-wing in a tight arc bringing him around the station to bring him head on with the TIEs.

R1-C8 splashed the translation up on his monitor: I'm in trouble TIEs hidden in containers, help me!

"How many TIEs are there attacking Seepaall Rick!?"

R1-C8 bleeped that there were 4, 2 fighters and 2 bombers. Teredell thought to himself that 'in trouble pretty quickly' was an understatement.

Just before the TIEs came into view he switched to proton torpedoes and started to acquire the lead tie on his display. His steady firm grip on the yolk centred the targeting reticle on the first TIE and R1-C8 screamed as it turned to a locked red colouring, he let off a torpedo screaming towards the lead TIE. As he did he switched to lasers, in opposed dual fire mode. He glanced to his port side and saw a torpedo streak out of Tra'tep's X-wing toward the oncoming TIEs and he heard her speak "That was locked onto the TIE on the port side of the leader. I'll head off to Seepaall or do you want me to finish the last one off here?" just as she finished speaking Teredell's proton torpedo ripped through the cockpit of the lead fighter causing both wings to fly off at right angles.

"Go to Seepaall I'll be right behind you" Teredell said through gritted teeth as hits started splashing up on his forward shields, the third TIE was peppering him enough that he couldn't get a good lock on for his lasers, he banked to the port where Tra'Tep had just vanished from.

As he banked he yelled to R1-C8 to even the shields out as he would be exposing his starboard side to the oncoming TIE, as he did so he saw on his display the second TIE which Tra'Tep had fired at disappear from his monitors, a hit to the wing had been the result of Tra'Tep's torpedo. The TIE streaked through where he had just banked from and began arcing around to the starboard to come in on Teredell's tail. He slammed the propulsion into reverse and jammed his foot into the port rudder skidding the X-wing in space bringing the TIE's wing directly into his sights and fired 3 double bursts straight into it, the first skipped passed on alternating sides, but the second took the top left and bottom right of the wing off completely causing the TIE to begin spiralling away, he quickly turned to follow and locked his lasers on shooting out scarlet bolts of laser light to finish the TIE off.

"Rick status on Tra'Tep and Seepaall?" Teredell shouted.

A hurried sequence of beeps indicated that Seepaall had made short work of the 2 bombers and Tra'Tep was just letting another torpedo off at one of the fighters. Good Teredell thought, they've got this just about wrapped up.

"Rick send a message to base to send a new compliment of staff for the mining base here and re-enforcements" Teredell then keyed the comm to the base "commander I am disappointed, I'm sure the new republic will enjoy debriefing you on your operation out here, my scanners are returning a significant cache of Spice in your outpost here. I did enjoy the little skirmish and as you can see by now, your alliance with crime-lords hasn't served you well at all. Announce to your base that you will all be getting picked up soon by New republic command and relocated for de-breifing"

"Ggfhooommh mmhbbrrooa gggaaarrhwhmm ooommm mmhbbrrooawkk Mmhooawwhooafffooaggggggk" came through the comm from Seepaall which if Teredell's Shyriiwook was right it meant that they'd gotten the last of the TIEs. What a relief.

They circled the outpost for the next few hours awaiting for the cavalry to arrive which was on hand before any of these operations took place, when they arrived Teredell and his team set coordinates for base and the light of those stars grew from pinpoints into long streaks as they entered hyperspace...


End file.
